Tommy Hilfiger Biography

Fast Facts

• Founded The Tommy Hilfiger Group in 1995 to support educational programs for children and is a supporter of non-profit organizations like Race to Erase MS, Breast Health International, and The Fresh Air Fund
• Was named Designer of the Year by the Parsons School of Design and GQ magazine in 1998
• Won GQ magazine's International Designer of the Year Award in 2002
• For his philanthropic efforts, he won D․A․R․E․'s Future of America Award and the UNESCO Support Award
• Began working as a full-time fashion designer in 1979 with Mohan Murjani, a businessman who wanted to launch a line of men's clothing
• Hired ad man George Lois to design the now famous "hangman ad" in 1985 that launched his career
• Opened his first clothing store, People's Place, when he was still a high school student in New York in 1969
• Quote: "I think it's dangerous to think that you're successful, because then you become complacent․ I think you've got to stay humble․ In this business, you have to look over your shoulder at all times because you can lose it all with the snap of a finger․"
• Best known as a fashion designer and founder of the Tommy Hilfiger Corporation
• Collaborated with George Lois on the book "Iconic America: A Roller-Coaster Ride through the Eye-Popping Panorama of American Pop Culture" in 2007